The Cokeville Miracle is a 2015 drama film written & directed by T. C. Christensen[2] and starring Jasen Wade, Sarah Kent and Kimball Stinger. The film was based on the 1986 Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis[3] and the book The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene by Hartt Wixom and Judene Wixom. The faith-based film was released in select theaters across the United States in the summer of 2015, and was distributed by Deseret Book Company and affiliated retailers.
In May 1986, cop Ron Hartley of Cokeville, Wyoming, begins to question his religious beliefs, wondering whether a just God would really allow the atrocities he witnesses in his work to happen. He stops praying and attending church services with his family, which worries his wife, Claudia and his children, Cindy and Jason.
In Tucson, Arizona, David Young, former town marshal of Cokeville, tests a homemade bomb on an old bus, completely destroying it. He then expresses his triumph with his second wife, Doris. The two and Young's daughter from his first marriage, Penny, journey to Cokeville, where Young collects supplies to build another bomb and recruits his friends Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall to help him with the next stage of his plan.
The next day, Ron is called out of town. Meanwhile, Young's group travels to the elementary school and David announces his plan to take the school hostage and blow it up in the deluded belief that he's mathematically calculated how to die and come back to life in a "brave new world" he will control. Deppe and Mendenhall, who had assumed after an earlier demonstration that they would be setting off illegal fireworks, are horrified and refuse to participate. Young handcuffs them and leaves them in his van. Young arms the bomb and he, Doris, and Penny enter the school. When Young starts yelling at a student, Penny confronts him and refuses to help any further. She takes Young's van and drives to the town hall, where she, Deppe, and Medenhall alert the authorities.
At the school, Young takes control of Room 4. Doris then lures the rest of the school into the room by promising a "surprise". Once all 136 students, including Cindy and Jason, and 18 teachers are inside, Young explains that the bomb is wired to a dead man's switch tied to his wrist, which will detonate the bomb if anything happens to him, and threatens to shoot anyone who tries to leave. He then orders Max Excell (Alan Peterson), the school principal, to call the authorities and deliver his ransom demand: $2,000,000 for each child.
As news about the hostage situation spreads, worried parents and emergency responders gather outside the school. Ron learns about the situation and begins speeding back to Cokeville, aware that every other police officer is also out of town and he is closest. He again questions God's existence, wondering why something like this would be allowed to happen.
Inside the school, gas begins to leak from the bomb, making the children sick from the fumes. The teachers convince Young to let them open the doors and windows for ventilation. They do their best to keep the children quiet and avoid provoking Young, who grows increasingly agitated and unstable, including making a "magic square" of masking tape on the floor to keep the children away from Young and the bomb.
Eventually, Young goes to the bathroom, transferring the dead man's switch to Doris before he leaves. Doris accidentally pulls the switch with a hand gesture, triggering the bomb. The room is set on fire and fills with smoke and shrapnel as shells from Young's guns explode in the heat. The teachers quickly begin evacuating the children through the open doors and windows. Young returns from the bathroom, sees Doris on fire, and shoots her. He also shoots John Miller, a teacher, in the back before retreating to the bathroom and shooting himself. Young and Doris are the only two fatalities of the bombing; everyone else successfully evacuates.
A few days later, Jason and Cindy are recovering well from burns and other minor injuries, but their parents worry that Jason is traumatized and take him to a psychologist. After the visit, Jason confides to Ron and Claudia that there were other people in the room with them, dressed in white — angels. He identifies one of them as his deceased great-grandmother after being shown a photograph of her and claims she told him the bomb would go off but that everything would be alright.
Ron is doubtful of Jason's story, so Claudia encourages him to look for other evidence. Ron visits other families and learns that their children likewise saw deceased relatives in the room with them shortly before the explosion. He also consults with the school principal and the investigating bomb expert, who explain a number of unlikely coincidences that contributed to everyone making it out safely. Some of the events defy logical explanation, such as wires on the bomb inexplicably being cut before it exploded, no one being hit by flying shrapnel, and the school fire alarms going off with no apparent cause in the days leading up to the bombing. Ron also learns that even though the bomb was designed to explode outward, the force of the blast was largely directed up into the ceiling, which aligns with Jason describing a ring of angels surrounding the bomb and flying upward as it went off.
Even after hearing all this, Ron remains skeptical. The following Sunday, Jason persuades Ron to attend church by refusing to attend unless Ron comes as well. Ron enters the church building, but can't bring himself to attend the meetings, admitting to Claudia that he hates the Youngs for what they did and is glad they're dead. Claudia warns him that he'll lose her and their kids if he lets doubt and anger control his life. Ron then overhears part of a lesson given by their bishop, reminding the congregation that hatred will not help anyone, as well as the children, many of whom were present during the bombing, singing in the youth room. Ron is overcome with emotion and asks God and his family to forgive him for doubting. He resumes praying and attending church.
Cast
Jasen Wade as Ron Hartley, the film's protagonist, one of the town's deputies who is questioning his faith as his children are taken hostage.
Sarah Kent as Claudia Hartley, Ron's wife, who is worried about his skepticism.
Kimball Stinger as Jason Hartley, Ron and Claudia's son, who tells them about seeing an angel of a deceased ancestor.
Alexa Rae as Cindy Hartley, Ron and Claudia's daughter.
Nathan Stevens as David Young, the film's antagonist, the ex-town marshal who holds Cokeville Elementary hostage.
Kymberly Mellen as Doris Young, David's second wife, who accompanies him on his devious plan, but treats the children with much kindness.
Caitlin EJ Meyer as Penny Young, David's second daughter from his previous marriage, who refuses to participate in his evil plan.
Paul Hunt and Channon Voyce as Doyle Mendenhall and Gerald Deppe, two of David Young's friends who also refuse to participate in holding helpless, little children hostage.
Alan Peterson as Max Excell, the Principal of Cokeville Elementary.
Jillette Dayton as Christina "Tina" Cook, the Secretary of Cokeville Elementary.
Barta Heiner as Verlene Bennion, an elderly teacher at Cokeville Elementary who suffers from smoke inhalation after the bomb goes off.
Liz Christensen as Pat Bennion, Verlene's daughter-in-law and one of the teachers at Cokeville Elementary.
Joshua Cooper as John Miller, a music teacher who is shot by David Young after the bomb goes off.
Rick Macy as Rich Haskell, a certified bomb expert from the Sweetwater County Sherrif's department in Rock Springs.
Shawn Stevens as John Teichert, the bishop of Cokeville's local congregation.
Production
The film was written and directed by T. C. Christensen, (The Work and the Glory, Only a Stonecutter, 17 Miracles, Ephraim's Rescue) and produced by Ron Tanner and Christensen. The film debuted on June 5, 2015, in select theaters in Utah, and then across the United States. The film was subsequently released on DVD and Blu-ray for distribution by Excel Entertainment Group through Deseret Book and affiliated retailers.
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